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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is significantly less expensive than the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and has a large screen size, which may suit you if you're on a tight budget and need a basic laptop for general use. However, it has less storage, less powerful processing, and shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air offers better performance for more demanding tasks like engineering, 3D rendering, or machine learning, with a higher-quality display and longer battery life, but it is at a higher cost and has a smaller screen. The MacBook Air is also more portable due to its lightweight design and has a more vibrant screen, which could be beneficial if you frequently travel or need a laptop with a superior display for media and graphics work. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 1
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 falls short for general use due to its lower-quality TN screen, less powerful Intel Celeron processor, minimal RAM, and a short battery life of around 6 hours, making it less suitable for extended use away from power sources.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.4
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1, with its basic Intel Celeron graphics, falls short for gaming and 3D tasks compared to the Apple MacBook Air (2022) that has a more capable Apple M2 GPU. While both have similar screen refresh rates, the MacBook Air has a higher-quality display and a stronger CPU, enhancing its 3D capabilities despite some games not being compatible with macOS.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.5
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.9
7.9
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.1
8.0
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.2
7.6
15.6in
SIZE
13.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 1 may have a screen that lacks the sharpness, clarity, and brightness desired for any use, making detailed work in general use, and especially in engineering, less accurate due to poor color representation. The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with its higher resolution and brighter display, provides excellent visual clarity and color accuracy for general tasks and professional design projects, ensuring that colors are true to life. However, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smoother motion, the MacBook Air's screen falls short as it doesn't offer the high refresh rates found in dedicated gaming laptops.
Battery
6.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 1 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$244
$769
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $769.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $769 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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